CESEC to BRUA: “Got your back”

CESEC to BRUA: “Got your back”

The fortunes of the “BRUA” natural gas interconnector pipeline may be improving, according to a report on Euractiv, which writes that the parties involved – Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria – have signed a memorandum of understanding at the 4th meeting of the Central and South Eastern Europe Gas Connectivity (“CESEC”) group that recently took place in Bucharest.

By using existing pipeline structure and interconnecting the pieces, BRUA, according to the report, will make it possible to pump natural gas in either direction to satisfy needs during periods of peak demand or emergencies, and increase Central & Eastern Europe’s diversification of natural gas sources. Ideally, it would be able to transport sources of gas from both the Caspian and Black Seas.

Past the obstacles and according to plan?

But this past summer, the project’s fate seemed up in the air, when, first Romania said Hungary was out of the picture and, later, Hungary killed the open season on the entire project, claiming that on the Hungary-Romania section of the project was viable.

Romania’s Energy Minister told Euractiv that work is underway on BRUA, with contracts having been signed and permitting processes underway. Pipe procurement, he said, is expected in December of this year and construction should begin in the spring of 2018.

In the piece the Energy Minister states that the various project phases should occur concurrently between each country involved in the project, as agreed with the European Commission when BRUA received the body’s approval and funding.

Hungary vying for TurkStream gas

Meanwhile, the Daily Sabah is reporting that via request Hungary wants to be the first country to tap into natural gas supplies via Gazprom’s pending TurkStream gas pipeline, hopefully by 2019.

Hungary hopes to receive gas via the second string of TurkStream, which could bring the gas to Central Europe and west of the Balkans. The country’s foreign minister says Hungary would complete infrastructure developments to enable it to receive gas from TurkStream.